acute acalculous cholecystitis

Acute acalculous cholecystitis, though rare, is most often seen in critically ill people in hospital intensive care units.

Less commonly, in debilitated and trauma patients, the gallbladder may become inflamed and infected in the absence of cholelithiasis, and is known as acute acalculous cholecystitis.

Note that a palpable tender gallbladder may be seen in acute acalculous cholecystitis, which commonly follows trauma or ischemia and causes acute inflammation of the gallbladder in the absence of gallstones.